Invalid chair



KAPUSTA 2,397,790

' INVALID CHAIR 4 April 2,1946.

Filed Aug. 21, 1941 5 Sheets-She et 1 f &

Inventor I Y v Jaam @2520" By 'wmm A ttomeygg April 2, 1946.

A. KAPUSTA INVALID CHAIR Filed Aug. 21, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney April 2, 1946. 'A. KAPUS'I 'A INVALID CHAIR Filed Aug. 21, 1941 jg. Z

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 38 A 37 L 54, j Z %4/ r 4 J6 I Q i A 4 v H -b v Inventor 3a 3.6 I I iflamz z gj v A itorney L April 2, 1946, A; KAPUSTA 2397,790

INVALID CHAiR FiledAug. 21, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet '4 W ZM v Aifiomey- April 2, 1946. KAPUSTA 2,397,790

INVALID CHAIR Filed Aug. 21, 1941 5 Shee 'bs-Sht 5 Inventor A iiorney Jd'am ZZ wZ-Q Patented Apr. 2, 1946 so stares. PATENT oFFiee.

Adam K apusta, Milwaukee twisi x ueuumaugnsezi, 1941; scheme: row-woe (01. time) The present invention relatesto. new. and'luse ful improvements in invalidijchairs.andlmorelparticularly, to a. chair oi the. occupant. propelled type.

The principal? objfectlof! the present invention is to provide an invalid chair. whi'chcan bepropelledl by'a' normal rockihgmotion of the. occupant.

Another important: object of the. invention. to provide an invalid. chair. whichby a normal; rocking motion and direction. selecting. means.

can be driven. in' either. a. forward? on Backward direction.

Still another important object, ofithe; invention ist'e providean invalid chair involvingidi'rection. selecting'means which can becontrolledbyj alfoot. of theoccuparitt'if'th'eneedre'quii'esz.

(other objects" and advantages of the invention, will become apparent to therea'der of. theioll'owingspecificationt' In the drawings.-

Figure 1 represents a side elevationalfviewcf the chair.

Figure 2*is-a" side elevatibnal viewof'the drive mechanism;

Figure 3 is'a fragmentary top in'gthe drive-mechanism:

Figure=- 4 is a;- fragmentary vertic'af sectional" view through the "drive" and shiftmechani'sm.

Figure Sisan' exploded view sfiowing the elementsof th'e drive and'shiftmechanismz Figure- 6=isan elevational view with? a: part in section showing the shaft" of the drive and shift" mechanism; I

Figure? is" a sectlonafviewtaken substantially on-line*"| 'l 'ofFigure-4.

pl'an view show- Figure 8 is an outside" elevationarl' view of a drive plate,- the'pawl shown in dotted lines: he"- ingthe -paw1to-theright in'*Fi'gure*'7f' Figure 9 is-a fragmentarrside" elevational view of the drive annuluswith the-pawl'sremovedi Figure 10 is a sectional view taken substantiallyset; downwardly.- at" their forward? ends; as; at: 1 3;. to connect andbrac'evertica'l portions. l l depend-'- ing from the horizontal portions" 9': These. vertifcal portions l4. support a foot rest l'fi by'forward extensions I thereof? andnum'era'l" H denotes. an upwardly inclined" forward. portion. of this frame on which is mounted a pedal I 8",1the"iunc tibn ofwhich: will be; laterde'scribedi caster Wheel I9 is mounted atthefbrward portion" 1 1. of: the frame I d'an'd is controlled. by-anv elongatedhandharzui.

Theiportion's l2 ofthe frame aretequippedwith suitable" bearings 21 throughwhich air axle 22 extends; and suitably: secured to the. ends off this axle 22are'wheels 23.

A sprocket wheelz'tj-iskeyedf to thefaxle: 22? and is" driven bya sprocket chain 25* extending; from a drive? and direction selectingmechanism"gcn*- erallyreferred toiby numeral 2 6".

In the construction orthe drive and direction shift. mechanism; aplatfbrm- 21 is mounted across: the portion 12 of the frame HP and suitably se curecrthereto: Standards 28ri'seffr0m'thep1atf orm" 2 and" have lriearing'sflii atf'their upperends through-which theends oi'ashaitware disposed; Orr-this shaft30"is a'sprocket'wheellfl overwhici'rf thedrivechain 25 is trained.

The drive mechanism consists: of a: drive "an nulus 32 this annulus? 32- having at substantially large central opening 33for substantiailysnug; but rotatable fit on a diSc- 34 which is. keyed; afs? at*3fii,toa'whub-3ii on Shaft'ii-OE A substantially oii'culai--wa11 31' is provided at one side of. the annuliisfil while -a similar wall 3 8is-provided.ati* the-otherside ofi'the annulusiii i The upperrppr:

tionsof thesewalls.il and 3-8 have-cutoutpon tions defining openings through which upst'andi- I ingr shanks 39* and* 40 ondirection shift rings 4 i1 and [1 2 respectively; the movable: These shiftf rings 4-? and 42- operate within"theconfinestofthe walls 3 and 38, and within" the confines" of the rings 44 and P2 operaterat'chet wheels and'45 (seed igure 'mt These-ratchet Wheels. 4-$andf4 arekeyed, aged? to'the hub=3fi"along"with thev disc 3%(seeFigure 4);

show-n in: Figure? '7; thes'hift" ring; 411i is pro, vided atiits; upper; portion. and immediately; tie;- low its shank 39. with..a pocketl 46;. A second; recess; G'Il is? provided at the lower. portion of the:

ring fill-L. On. thisparticular side. of therdr'ive.

annulus 32% is a pair. ofpawls 48! and 49;, repre senting'upper'and loweri aw1s -,whi1e:onztheother side; of: the drive; annulus. are: upper: andi lower paw-1s. 5.0 andzil which are; controlledihw that oth'en ring; 42 itzib'eing:understoudloficoursm I pawlfsj iil and 51. f

i ,nl

I that all of these pawls are constructed in substantially the same manner, each having a pointed ratchet wheel engaging head a and a tail portion b which is engageable into an opposed recess of the ring 4| or the ring 42, the ring 42 being provided with upper and lower pockets 53 l8'in operating the shiftlmeans when he is desirous of going either forward or backward.

At this point, it will be observed that the connections 63 each consists of a clevis 82 pivotally and 54 into which the paW1s5U and can be'disposed by their tail portions b in response to the force of springs 55 when the ring is moved to the proper position. 4

At this point, it will be observed that the lower Arms 58 extend laterally from' the drive ari pawls 49 and 5| are located on drive plates 56 V and 51 which are disposed at the outer sides of the ratchet wheels 44 and 45.

' nulus 32 and each is connected by a link-59 to a beam 50 and these beams 65 are each fulcrumed, as at 6!, on a post 62, and further con-r 5'; Links 34 extend from the beams to the nected by connecting means generally referred l to by numeral 63-to the bottom of the chair seat i drive discs 56 and 51- on which are mounted the Ah'arcuate and slotted member 65 has its lower end'aperturedito receive the shaft 30 while its uppe enui's apertured to receive a bolt 66 which extends through the openings 0 'in the shanks 39 and 40 of the shift rings 4| and 42. One end of the Ehead portion of an inverted T-shaped driver filfis disposed into the slot of the member 65, while the other end ofthe head has an opening therethrough for receiving one end of a rod; 68 and a set screw 69 prevents displacement of this rod 68 from the head of the member 61.

The inverted T-shaped member 61 is secured to a shaft 10 located under the seat'5 and has one end grooved, as at II, to receive a spring retracted tooth 12 carried by a hand lever 13. A button 14 in the upper end of the lever 13 ope'rate'si the 'rod 15 which in turn projects the f tooth 12 intothegroove H of the shaft"!!! when actuation of the'lever .13 is to be accomplished with the result that theinverted T-shaped member'fi'lww'ills'h'ift the rings 4| and 42 so as to bring the poc'k't'stherein to position to permit either the pawls 48,49 or thepawls 54,50 to be released for effective operation.

When the shift means has thusbeen set, a rockinginotion of the seat 5' will result in the downward and upward movements of: the con nections 63. For instance, as the forward con: neotion 63 goes upwardly, the link 59 will rotatethe drive annulus 32 so that for instance if the pocket '4! has opposed the pawl 49 and the pocket'45 opposed the pawl 48,'the pawl 48 engaging'the ratchet wheel 45 will rotate the shaft 3i! and'actu'ate the drive chain in one direc- -56. threaded portion of the rod 83 for engagement against the top of the clevis 82.

connected to the corresponding beam 60 and a threaded rod 83 pivotally connected at its upper end, as at 84, to the chair'seat 5, while its lower end is threaded, as at 84, and disposed through the upper portion of the clevis 82. The lower end of the'threaded member 83 is provided with a nut or head 85 between which and the upper end ofthe ,clevis 82, is a coiled compression spring Numeral 8? denotes a jamb nut on the While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in'specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departof Y the invention ing from the spirit and scope as claimed hereinafter; V V

What is claimedasjnew is: V. j 5, 1. Propulsion means for wheel chairs and the like comprising a drive shaft in driving relation to the wheels of the chair, a pair of," ratchet: wheels carried by the shaft, a drive annulusfprm vided with spring-pressed drive pawls'on opposite sides thereof, a control ring for, the pawls V at each side of the drive annulus,jsaidjoontrol rings being provided with constructions adapted to engage the pawls to hold the pawlsat'one side of the drive annulus disengaged with respect 'to the corresponding ratchetwheel while the pawls at the opposite side are in engaged position-the pawls at one side of'the annulus being in reversed driving position to thepawl's at theoppo site side of the annulus to drive the shaft in one direction of rotation, manual means for shifting the control rings and manual'meansfor actuating the drive annulus;

2. Propulsion means for wheel chairs and the,

like comprising a drive shaft in drivingrelation to the wheels'of the chair, a pair of ratchet wheels carried by the shaft, a drive annulus provided with spring-pressed drive-pawls on oppo- 7 site sides thereof, a control ring for the pawls tion. Upon the downward movement of this said connection 63 the side plate 51 willbe affected by thelink 64,the plate 51 being rotated in the opposite direction from the annulus 32 with the result that on the downward movementof the connection 53 the pawl 49 (see Figure 7) will be 1 moved effectively to rotate the ratchet wheel :in the'same direction, continuing the operation of the 'sh'aft'30; These pawls, as shown in Figures 'l-and 110 are carried byfthe opposite sides of the drive annulus 32. In other words, regard- 7 less ofthe direction of travel, either backwards or forwards-rocking movement of the chair seat is effective in operating'the drive mechanism.

The pedal I8 is connected by rod sections 80 and bellcranksill to the aforementioned rod 68, so vthat in'the event a person cannot use his a hands, he may use one foot to actuate the pedal at eachside of the drive'annulus, said 5ontrol rings being provided with constructions adapted to engage the pawls tothold the pawlsat one side one directiono-f rotation, nianu al means for shifting the control ringsand manual meansfor 7 actuating the drive'annulus, said control rings being connected together and operativein unison. I i V ,7 "1 '3. Propulsion means for wheel chairs and the like comprising'a drive shaft inidrivingrelation to the wheels of the chair," alpiair ofiratchet wheels carried by: the shaft, a drive annulus provided with spring-pressed drive'pawls on opposite sides thereof, a control ring for the'pawls atzeach side of the drive annulus, said control rings being provided with constructions adaptedfto r engage 1 the'pawls tohold' the pawls at one side'of the drive; annulus disengaged with: respect to the corresponding ratchet wheel vvhile the pawlsat 2 the opposite side are in engaged po'sition," the pawls at one 1 side of the annulus 3 being in; ireversedfldrivingposltion to the pawls at the oppo-- site side of the annulus to drive the shaft in one direction of rotation, manual means for shifting the control rings and manual means for actuating the drive annulus, said control rings being connected together and operative in unison, a member having an opening at one end for receiving the drive shaft and its other end secured to one of the control rings, said member having a longitudinal slot therein, said manual means for shifting the control rings including a shaft having a crank, said crank having a pintle disposed into the slot for operating the con trol rings.

ADAM KAPUSTA. 

